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The Amazing Pushbullet

If you are anything like me, you are constantly juggling multiple devices throughout your day – phone, tablet, computers. Each one of these devices serves a different purpose and I use them in different situations.

What I have found quite often is that I’m browsing Twitter or reading articles on one device and I realize that I really want to be able to look at it on another device. Or, I find an app for my phone while I’m on my computer or a program for my computer while I’m on my phone. It never fails that I find myself using the incompatible device when I come across something I’d like to explore more.

Normal the following would happen next: Find the link to what I needed. Open up my email and paste the link into the email. Email the link to myself. Get on my other device. Open up my email and get the link going. I know this doesn’t sound too complicated or exhausting, but when you do a large number of times in a given day it does get a little old.

Then came Pushbullet to my rescue. It has been around for a while, but I haven’t realized its true power until recently. Pushbullet describes itself as:

“mak[ing] your devices work better together by allowing you to move things between them easily.”

It’s so brilliantly simple. All you need is a Google account to log in. And, it supports almost everything now. The only device no supported is a Mac computer, but any of the browser extensions will do the trick (I use it in Chrome in my iMac). Here is a list of compatible devices.

After you set up your devices, all you have to do is share with the app and it will instantly pop up on the device you choose to send it to. I was astounded with how fast it was. And, even if you like sending yourself those emails for old times sake, you can add an email address to send whatever you have to it.

Here’s a quick clip that shows how it works

You are not just limited to links either. Pushbullet can send addresses with maps, files from device to device (a tad bit slower, depending on size), and can even be configured to allow your texts and calls from your phone pop up on your computer, a neat feature which I do not personally use.